Gold Coast City Council: 30 years since founding of modern day local government after amalgamation with Albert Shire

The decision to create the modern Gold Coast City Council was hugely controversial and expensive, with many, including councillors warning of the impact of having a “super city”.

The federal election is ramping up as Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton fight for votes across the country.

Gold Coast voters will go to the polls on May 3 for what will be, barring an unexpected change, the last time until 2028.

Due to a quirk in the electoral cycle, there will be no local, state or council elections scheduled in 2026 or 2027, with all three next set to occur in March, May and October of 2028.

This year’s federal election comes 30 years after another contentious election to create the “super” Gold Coast City Council.

Queensland premier Wayne Goss’ government made the decision to merge the councils.

The “super city” poll changed the city forever as two councils created in 1948 were combined, with councillors who had just finished their 1994 campaigns forced to again face the electorate.

The decision, made in 1994 by Premier Wayne Goss’ Labor government, forced the councils to combine and pitted two mayors against each other – the Gold Coast’s Gary Baildon and Albert’s Ray Stevens.

On polling day, the reported polls suggested a cliffhanger result after Cr Stevens and Cr Baildon both spent between $100,000 and $200,000 on their campaigns.

There were 48 candidates for the council positions and, with temperatures running hot, police were called in to ensure no violence broke out on polling day.

Ray Stevens became the mayor of the new Gold Coast council

Cr Stevens eventually triumphed over Cr Baildon, as well as fellow candidates – “flamboyant” Cr Kerry Smith, Christian Jocumsen, Chris Beilby, Jeanie O’Kane and Stephen Shoard.

Cr Smith told the Bulletin she would quit politics permanently after polling just 8 per cent in the mayoral election behind councillors Baildon and Stevens.

Though Cr Baildon lost the election, he admitted he took satisfaction in seeing the end of Cr Smith, a long-time rival.

“The only places where she polled well were where they didn’t know her,” he said.

“Her vote was a complete rejection.”

Ultimately, 13 of the councillors from both the former local governments were elected, along with one rookie, Eddy Sarroff.

Palm Beach’s Daphne McDonald was the city’s biggest winner, securing a stunning 74.17 per cent of the primary vote, beating her nearest rival by 60 per cent.

The 1995-1997 Gold Coast City Council under Mayor Ray Stevens.

Among the losers of the amalgamation were veteran councillors Merv Craig (Albert), Tom Costigan (Albert), Keith Thompson (Gold Coast), Mike Witham (Albert) and the late Sue Robbins (Albert), all of whom lost their seats.

Costigan and Robbins later returned to the new council in 1997 with Cr Robbins serving in the division 14 until her death in 2004.

Following the amalgamation, the new Gold Coast City Council was officially created on March 22, 1995 but this was not the end of the battle.

Former mayor Lex Bell, who stood down from City Hall in 1994 and returned to his former position as Surfers Paradise councillor, launched a long-running campaign against the amalgamation.

A referendum to split the councils again was held in 1996 and was unsuccessful.

None of the 1995 council remain in office, with Dawn Crichlow retiring in 2020 followed by Daphne McDonald, the last to leave at the 2024 election.

The 1995 amalgamation election led to a major change in the council’s make-up, with many of its members becoming longstanding figures

But things remained as fiery as ever, with Cr Stevens losing office to Cr Baildon just two years later in 1997.

He would bounce back in 2006, elected to state parliament where he remains an MP today, serving in the Crisafulli Government.